Anyone have any experience doing a Masters? Just looking to hear other people's stories - did it make you more employable, was it worthwhile, etc I have an undergraduate degree in actuarial science but not a great deal of jobs in Belfast (plus, I'd have to spend roughly 7 years doing exams to qualify, so not keen). Applied today for a Software Development masters at Queen's Uni Belfast as hopefully going down that route in the future.
If they accept (I imagine it'll be oversubscribed) you can't really go wrong except you'll still be inexperienced in their eyes and as you say, Belfast is no place to be looking for work .... My nephew, a top performer in college (games graphics programming) is struggling to get on the ladder and may have to do an internship of which he's had no shortage of offers.
I did a masters in computer science and the improvement in my knowledge and employability were probably not worth the cost, but I also did my undergraduate in computer science. Your situation is different to mine however. Though you can probably learn the necessary material to get a software development job yourself, for most jobs you will probably need a relevant qualification to get your CV through the door. If you're serious about becoming a programmer then a masters is probably a good thing, though make sure you are satisfied with the course; some masters programs are a tad dubious. If you know any recruiters in the industry (or maybe get in touch), it might be worth asking them how they view masters degrees. As your undergraduate was in an analytical subject, it might be good enough to just demonstrate knowledge in relevant technologies to get a job. I'm not experienced enough to really give you a categorical answer.
Imho a waste of time and money. Programmers earn money and jobs from the work they've done. You're better off working part time or getting an internship. Masters are only good for carrying on in education.
My company regularly take on software developers. They give all candidates a test and an interview and take the one that fits in best with the current team and project. A CV full of courses passed means little against experience and personality. On the personality thing, it's quite a shock at how many candidates appear not to have one whatsoever.
Currently doing a Masters degree, it's helped niche my skills and qualifications and looks great on my CV but I don't actually feel I've learnt all that much. That might be just me though
I went back to do my Masters in Politics whilst working. It's been crazy hard, but definitely worth it for my career. I managed to get my old job to pay for most of it, then moved to a new job straight after which gave me a 10k bump in salary, Most of all though, I've developed a whole load of new skills and have got ahead of the competition. Definitely do it if you want to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Agreed, I thought about staying on a university to do a masters and I was talked out of it by one of my lecturers. He basically pointed out that by doing another year in education wouldn't be as beneficial to me as would going out and working in one year's time. He was right.
I have one in education and without it, could not have progressed when I was teaching, but like others, I did it on the job. Because a lot of degree are ten a penny now and so many people have them, it does show that you can apply yourself to study further but personally I feel it is to be done whilst working, and unless you want to go and do a PHd is not worth it in terms on gaining extra knowledge pitted against the experience of working.
You are a long time employed. So my advice is to stretch out your student days as far as possible.. if you can handle the debt that is.
Thanks for all the info. Any jobs I've seen in this industry seem to ask for coding experience, something I don't have. For that reason I haven't applied for any of the roles, surely they'd just ignore my application? As for struggling to find a job, there are a lot of software jobs in Belfast at the minute, it has become a real technology hub. The average starting salary for a software engineer in Belfast is £27k, considerably more than I am on at the minute.
This was my uncle's advice when I was a teenager. I took it. Three degrees later I am still at university (albeit not as a student). I'm 52.
I did an OU degree on top of my original Env. Science degree from the UEA Norwich. The reason I did the extra one was because my original degree was 'unit based' and I was interested in all the bits I'd had to decline previously. So now I feel kinda 'holistic' in my accademic knowledge of the natural world. As well as a lot of self-acquired practical knowledge. The extra degree per se was a bit irrelevant. But the extra knowledge was immense. So my advice would be to stick with it if it really interests you. If, however, it's just a job, then stick with the job alone.
Get programming. Create some apps, have something to show. A portfolio of decent software is experience. It doesn't have to be for a specific reason or employer.
The problem is there a quite a few employers that wont look at this, and will just rely on technical interviews.
Then they are morons. Programming is a creative job. I wouldn't sign an artist becasue if when asked he said he knew how to paint a cat. I'd actually want to see a painting of a cat they'd produced.
Yes but it also involves technique, and there is objectively better technique that companies may feel they can measure using technical questions. You may think they are morons, but they are plenty of people that might like to work for Google, Amazon, or Facebook.
